Collector's Corner: Wade Whimsies

By Michele Alice

You've heard of the benefits to one's health of a daily cup of tea http://www.teahealth.co.uk/th/facts/index.htm. Now there's one more reason to switch from java to pekoe: Wade Whimsies are presently being offered as premiums in specially marked packages of Red Rose Tea USA.

Whimsies are porcelain miniatures, usually of animals or some fanciful subject. Wade http://www.wade.co.uk, a renowned manufacturer of English porcelain, has produced Whimsies for both the retail and premium markets for decades. Wade premiums have been found in a number of products, including Red Rose Tea USA and Canada (a separate company), Tom Smith Party Crackers, and Sharps Chocolate.

All Wade Whimsies are sought after by collectors, though the older Whimsies are, of course, generally rarer, especially in mint condition. These can fetch from several dollars for a single figure to $200+ for boxed sets originally sold in the 1950s.

Huggybear's Wade Whimsies Website http://www.wadewhimsies.com is, in my estimation, the most comprehensive site devoted to Wade miniatures. Huggybear's has hundreds of pictures arranged both alphabetically and by series for easy identification of your "find." The site also hosts a detailed bibliography, a list of Wade retail shops, a Wade collectors club, links, etc.

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